Technical Assistance Portfolio

2023 :  [ UNICEF Sri Lanka ] : Social Service Workforce Strengthening

Child Frontiers, alongside its partners, the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance and the Colombo-based Institute for Participatory Interaction in Development, are collaborating with UNICEF Sri Lanka to improve the delivery of social services. The focus of the work is to strengthen and professionalize the social service workforce, which is critical for an effective child protection system. Child Frontiers will support the National Institute of Social Development, a statutory body under the State Ministry of Social Empowerment. The objectives of the project are to: (i) Understand access to, the content of and gaps in national academic social work curricula; (ii) Support the implementation of the NISD's roadmap for professionalizing the social service workforce; and (iii) Develop and pilot a new model of social work practice supervision. This project will significantly enhance the capacity of the child protection systems in Sri Lanka and it will contribute to addressing UNICEF’s Social Development Goal Targets, Goal 3 of the UNICEF Strategic Plan: girls and boys, especially the most vulnerable and those affected by humanitarian crisis, are protected from all forms of violence, exploitation, abuse, and harmful practices.

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2023 :  [ UNICEF HQ ] : Phase III UNFPA-UNICEF Global Program to End Child Marriage

Child Frontiers is supporting UNICEF and UNFPA to conceptualize and plan for the Global Program to End Child Marriage as it enters Phase III. Since 2016, the Global Program has contributed to the welfare and protection of adolescent girls aged ten to nineteen in twelve South Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries. This project offers an opportunity to take stock of progress, review the evidence and documentation that has been generated, collectively reflect on what makes sense as future programming approaches and priorities, and map out the adjustments that should be made, with a particular emphasis on monitoring, evaluation and learning. These critical review and reflection processes will inform the scope and ambitions of Phase III, which will be rolled out between 2024 and 2030. The review will consider the impact of and resilience to chronic and emerging crises, whether they be public health emergencies (especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic), the effects of climate change and family dislocation, the increased emphasis on gender transformative programming, and the risks posed by conflict and disasters.

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2023 :  [ ECPAT International ] : Theory of Change

Child Frontiers is supporting ECPAT International in leading and developing an organizational Theory of Change for the ECPAT Secretariat. The end product will allow the Secretariat to strengthen its impact and capture more robust evidence of effectiveness, both internally and externally, to enhance the organization's accountability and relevance. Child Frontiers will focus on adaptive programming and its interrelationship with a realistic and implementable organizational theory of change, and guide the ECPAT Secretariat to design strategic approaches for child protection systems based on well-articulated theories of change.

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2022 : [ UNICEF Thailand ] : 2nd National Child Protection Strategy and Implementation Plan

Child Frontiers is supporting the development of the 2nd National Child Protection System Strategy 2023-2027 and implementation plan, as a follow-up to the support for the Government of Thailand (DCY) and national stakeholders to develop the National Child Protection System Vision in 2021. Child Frontiers will partner with the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) on this important work, whose expertise and experience evaluating the implementation of NCPS 2017-2022 and Child Protection Act Costing Analysis and Budgeting. This project will design the strategy process based on a review and consolidation of existing documents, including the Child Protection Vision, Roadmap on Alternative Care, NCPS implementation evaluation (2017-2022), NCPS 2017-2022 and other related national strategies, as well as UNICEF’s Global Strategy for Child Protection and Thailand’s national strategies on child online protection (2017-2022), violence against children and child (2017-2021) as well as child and youth development (2017-2022).

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2022 : [ UNICEF Afghanistan ] : Strategy for Ending Child Marriages

Child Frontiers is developing a strategy to support UNICEF’s essential work to end child marriages in Afghanistan, taking into consideration the unique current socio economic, political, religious and legal context of Afghanistan. Ending child marriages requires addressing the causes of gender inequalities and transforming harmful gender roles, norms and power relations in a humanitarian set up. Child Frontiers understands that effective approaches to ending child marriage need to be streamlined to guide UNICEF and its implementing partners to address the myriad interconnected issues behind that drive and perpetuate child marriages.

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2022 : [ UNICEF HQ ] : Strategic Review of the Child Protection Work

Child Frontiers is conducting a review of the contribution of UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Office to advance the child protection agenda. The overall aim of the review is to ensure the UNICEF MENARO child protection team is ‘fit for purpose’ to implement the new child protection strategy, the Strategic Plan, and the ROMP 2022-2025. The review will be used to define better strategies for delivery of technical assistance and to better assess results and relevance. The review has two objectives; first, to take stock of the achievements, shortfalls and missed opportunities of MENARO’s child protection; and second, to suggest critical shifts and/or enhancements in the way the regional office provides technical assistance to country offices in terms of content, priorities, and delivery strategies.

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2022 : [ UNICEF HQ ] : Joint Global Program on Child Reintegration

Child Frontiers is supporting UNICEF in strengthening inter-agency collaboration toward improved program design, delivery and measurement for services for children affected by armed conflict, including those exiting armed forces or armed forces and armed groups (CAAFAG) and to prevent (re-)recruitment. This project will build on internal consultations across UNICEF offices with staff working with CAAFAG, and on engagement with multiple stakeholders through the Global Coalition on Reintegration of Child Soldiers, the Alliance CAAFAG Task Force, and the Paris Principles Steering Group, among other fora. Child Frontiers will support the articulation of theories of change required, design the research agenda, governance structures, strategy for resource mobilization, leading to the execution of the launch of the Joint Global Program on Child Reintegration for children affected by armed conflict in general and children associated with armed forces or armed groups in particular. This engagement aims to define what successful child reintegration programming looks like, using processes that are ethical and safeguard the interests, safety and privacy of children, their families and communities.

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2022 : [ UNICEF Iraq ] : Justice for Children in the Kurdistan Region

Child Frontiers is undertaking a groundbreaking and comprehensive mapping and assessment of existing child justice systems in the Kurdistan Region (KRI) of Iraq. The work will identify policy, legislation, institutional and capacity gaps in delivering child-friendly services. Findings and recommendations from the assessment will be used to develop a national and regional child justice strategy and a costed plan of action with the aim of making the system more child-friendly, more restorative, less punitive and in line with the Convention of the Right of the Child (CRC) and other international standards. The project will be conducted in incremental phases. First, assessment of the legal framework and extensive primary data collection will be conducted to understand the services currently in place. Second, strategic consultations will be conducted to prepare national and regional stakeholders to transform their systems. Third, Child Frontiers will develop a costed implementation and action plans for the strategy. Finally, Child Frontiers will assess the situation regarding diversion/alternatives to detention specifically, and design the way forward for the introduction of diversion/alternatives to detention in the future. The Final Report is available here in English and Arabic. 

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2022 : [ UNICEF Lebanon ] : Reform of the Child Care System

Child Frontiers is continuing its support to UNICEF and the Ministry of Social Affairs of Lebanon in advancing the work on the reform of the child care system in Lebanon building on achievements made in the last three years. Focus in 2021 and 2022 will be on the following main initiatives: 1) Undertake assessments on the situation of children in care, who have exited care and those under case management to understand the impact of the multiple crises that the country is going through on the care of children; 2) Support a visioning process in collaboration with MOSA to explore the purpose of, and services offered by the ministry, in relation to care, but contextualized within a wider analysis of MOSA’s role; and 3) Continue implementing the ongoing pilot on strengthening family/community based care for child at risk of/who are already separated due to protection reasons.

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2021 : [ UNICEF HQ ] : Facilitator UNFPA-UNICEF Global Program to End Child Marriage Meeting

Child Frontiers will be facilitating the bi-annual meeting of the Global Program to End Child Marriage, which will be held virtually in October 2021. The meeting will include all Global Program staff, selected academic experts, partner organizations, the private sector and governments, as well as the Global Program’s donors. The purpose of the bi-annual meeting is to review the first half of Phase II of the Global Program and to identify areas of adjustments in order to accelerate the achievement of outcomes in the second half of Phase II.

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2021 : [ UNICEF Timor-Leste ] : Strengthening of the Child and Family Welfare System

Child Frontiers is providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI) in Timor-Leste for stage 2 of the implementation of the country’s Child and Family Welfare Policy. The focus in this phase will be on ensuring the policy framework is rights based and inclusive, creating a national level policy implementation committee and helping the Technical Working Group develop a comprehensive policy implementation plan.

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2021 : [ UNICEF HQ ] : Joint Program to Eliminate FGM

Child Frontiers is producing documents for the UNICEF Steering Committee for contributing donors to the Joint Program to Eliminate female gender mutilation (FGM). Child Frontiers is providing technical support to UNICEF by producing 4 papers on topical issues and good practices on eliminating FGM. Child Frontiers will also maintain partnerships and advocacies via donor working groups and facilitating consensus among all parties on agenda for donor meetings.

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2020 : [ UNICEF Thailand ] : Child Protection System Visioning Exercise

Child Frontiers is supporting the Royal Government of Thailand to develop, through a participatory and facilitated process, a vision for protecting children throughout the country. The visioning process will support the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, led by the Department of Children and Youth, to conduct a comprehensive review of the structure and functioning of the existing child protection system.  Based on this analysis, a multi-stakeholder working group will undertake a process of national dialogue and debate to define and agree a long-term approach for protecting children in Thailand. The objective is to establish a unifying national vision or ‘direction of travel’ to guide child protection duty-bearers across government agencies and within the civil society sector.

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2020 : [ TdH Netherlands ] : Membership External Reference Group

Child Frontiers participated as an independent expert in the reference group that is oversaw the Down to Zero End-Term evaluation. The Down to Zero Alliance is a sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and Terre des Hommes, DCI-ECPAT, ICCO, Free a Girl and Plan Netherlands. From 2016 to 2020, they worked to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in eleven countries.

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2020 : [ UNICEF Afghanistan ] : Editing of Child Rights Policy

Child Frontiers is assisting the UNICEF Afghanistan in editing an early draft of the National Child Protection Policy, by contributing its expert knowledge and experience around developing such polices so that they may be aligned with international standards. A robust National Child Protection Policy is an important foundation in the implementation of the Law on the Protection of Children’s Rights in Afghanistan.

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2020 : [ UNICEF Malawi ] : Change Management Process

Child Frontiers is leading a developmental evaluation to support a change management process within the UNICEF Malawi Country Office, with the purpose of bringing evaluative thinking, logic, and tools to support innovation and adaptive management. This process follows a completed first phase which resulted in a draft theory of change that presented a pathway to the goal of structurally facilitated integration, and buy-in from relevant stakeholders. This second phase facilitates continuous learning and rapid real-time feedback to accompany the change process by working with Country Office staff over an 18-month period, and may prompt course correction along the way. Although the developmental evaluation is largely internally focused on the Country Office, it also examines and considers the influences and effects of Government and development partners on the change management process, and may result in a new model of ‘structurally facilitated integration’ that can better equip UNICEF and its partners deliver results for children.

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2020 : [ UNICEF Myanmar ] : Social Service Workforce Assessment and Social Work Law

Child Frontiers is conducting an assessment of the social service workforce in Myanmar, and based on the outcome of the assessment, develop a realistic framework and strategy on developing, planning and strengthening the social service workforce. Child Frontiers will also draft a Myanmar Social Work Law. Social work remains unrecognized by the State and the social service workforce in Myanmar is currently rudimentary, comprising government social workers, NGO social workers and community-based volunteers. The Government of Myanmar adopted a national social protection strategy in 2015, which established the first ever National Social Work Case Management system, and underscored the need for 6,000 social work case managers across 330 townships. The Government has demonstrated a strong signal of political commitment to social work and social welfare services, and deems it urgent to map and assess social service workforce in Myanmar, develop relevant national policy and legal frameworks and strategies.

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2020 : [ UNICEF Malaysia ] : Social Service Workforce Strengthening

Child Frontiers is supporting the Government of Malaysia in an effort to strengthen the country’s social service workforce, an essential component of the child protection system, as part of a three-phased multiyear approach. The first phase will map the social welfare workforce, adapting Global Social Welfare Workforce Alliance (GSWWA) tools implemented in other ASEAN countries during the past year, (Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand etc.) to fit the Malaysian context. The second phase will develop a roadmap for the strengthening of the system to be presented to key stakeholders. The third phase will be the development of a competency framework and capacity building strategy, culminating in a regional forum on Social Work. The project also included added components related to the Covid-19 crisis in an effort to understand how Malaysia’s social service systems are meeting the needs of the most vulnerable. The report on Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Vulnerable Children & Families, where social service workers share their experiences can be accessed here. 

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2020: [ UNICEF Jordan ] : After-Care and Reintegration Programs for Children and Women

Child Frontiers is supporting the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD) of the Kingdom of Jordan to develop and institutionalize aftercare and reintegration policies and programs within MOSD Case Management services for girls, boys and women survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV), for children of deprived parental care and for children in conflict with the law. Data collected through the Gender Based Violence Information Management System confirms that women and girls in Jordan (including refugees from Syria) are affected by GBV, including rape, domestic violence and forced and early marriage. The project reviews literature surrounding the process of reintegration, highlights advocacy and gaps that need further strengthening; develops guidelines, procedures, protocols and SOPs for their implementation; conducts training workshops for designated core team from MOSD and other relevant stakeholders; and supports MOSD in establishing peer-to-peer support groups among care leavers and their families. The Summary of the Research Report and Action Plan can be accessed here in English and Arabic. The Final Research Report can be accessed here in English and Arabic.  

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2020: [ Ai You Foundation ] : Situational Analysis on Child Welfare and Protection in China

Child Frontiers is supporting Ai You Foundation, in sharpening the objectives of its child welfare program and strengthening its team capacity. The first phase of engagement in 2019 highlighted the need for evidence to be generated in order fill in the gaps identified in its programming objectives, which leads to the current phase of a Situational Analysis of child protection and welfare in the provinces in China where AYF works. Information generated through the situational analysis will form a vantage point from which to take informed positions, elaborate strategies and identify priorities based on data. This will allow AYF to explain and present child welfare issues and its programs to stakeholders, potential funders, the media and the public in a clear, credible and accurate way. Child Frontiers will train the Child Welfare program research team to collect program data, provide technical support and oversight, and help build in-house capacity and knowledge of the program context. Once the key issues have been identified, Child Frontiers will explore and analyze these with the team through interviews and meetings to identify the criteria that AYF will use to select the most appropriate issues.

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2020: [ UNICEF Pacific ] : Technical support for the Child Protection System in Palau

Child Frontiers is working in an advisory capacity to Palau’s Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs to map and assess the island nation’s community and government systems for the protection of children. The study will learn from adolescents and parents about the kinds of physical, emotional and sexual violence that children experience in their homes and schools. It will explore the cultural beliefs and practices that protect children, as well as the effectiveness of social services provided by governments and civil society organizations. Working under a Child Protection Consultative Group, the purpose of the study is to support the Ministry to design and manage child protection systems appropriate to the context of Palau.

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2020: [ UNICEF HQ and WCARO ] : Global Workshop on CAAFAG

Child Frontiers is providing technical support for the conceptualization and facilitation of a workshop in March 2020 in Dakar, Senegal, of UNICEF practitioners from HQ, Regional and Country levels from several regions to engage in strategic consultations on the way forward for UNICEF’s programming for Children Affected with Armed Forces and Groups (CAAFAG). This consultation will support the development of a consultation outcome document that should be used as the foundations of Theory of Change & Results Framework, elements of Monitoring and Evaluation, and Global Program for Child Reintegration. The workshop will involve small group work and reflections as well as opportunities for presentation of good practices and lessons learned on the questions presented.

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2020 : [ UNICEF Timor-Leste ] : Child and Family Welfare Systems Policy

Child Frontiers continues its long-term engagement with UNICEF Timor-Leste, this time to provide technical guidance and assistance to the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion for the implementation of Stage 2 ‘Expansion of the policy implementation’ under the 3-year program Momentum and Opportunity: Strengthening the Child and Family Welfare system for the future of Timor-Leste. This project includes a review relevant policy frameworks and coordination mechanisms so that they are up-to-date and rights based and inclusive; an expansion of the capacity development program, mentoring support to the expanded cadre of social welfare workforce and the development of community mobilization processes in line with the principles of the Child and Family Welfare System Policy.

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2019 : [ UNICEF HQ ] : Technical Briefs on Child Marriage

Child Frontiers has been selected by UNICEF to produce technical briefs to inform and guide the Global Programme’s Phase 2 implementation. The Global Programme to End Child Marriage is being jointly implemented by UNICEF and UNFPA and aims to prevent and mitigate the consequences of child marriage over a 15-year period. The technical briefs aim to explain, elaborate and clarify the Global Programme’s programming strategies; provide practical and operational guidance for country implementation; and promote the Global Programme’s approaches and strategies. The production of technical briefs continues Child Frontiers’ collaboration with the Global Programme and builds on the February 2019 Global Programme consultation in Jaipur, India (which was facilitated by Child Frontiers) and on the Phase 2 Global Programme Document (written by Child Frontiers). At the global consultation, stakeholders had agreed on the need to develop clearer guidance on core Global Programme strategies and approaches.

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2019 : [ UNICEF HQ ] : Facilitator 2019 Global Child Protection Regional Advisers Meeting

Child Frontiers has been selected by UNICEF’s Child Protection Headquarters, to facilitate the Annual Child Protection Regional Advisers’ (CPRA) meeting on October 2019 in New York City. The annual CPRA meeting serves as a strategic moment of reflection for the sector’s work, especially in regard to achievements within the UNICEF Strategic Plan and contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is also a meeting in which UNICEF Headquarters and Regional Offices convene to agree upon accelerators and course corrections, as well as emerging issues and challenges that require senior management attention. This year, the CPRA meeting is strategically even more important, as UNICEF heads into the Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the Strategic Plan in Q4 of 2019. Child Frontiers, as facilitator, will review and provide technical advice on the agenda of the meeting as well as individual sessions; facilitate the actual conduct of the meeting; and finalize a report of the network meeting.

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2019 : [ UNICEF Botswana ] : Social Service Workforce and Capacity Gap Assessment

Child Frontiers is supporting the Government of Botswana on a mapping exercise to assess the capacity of the social service workforce (SSW), that will build on the SSW baseline study which was done by UNICEF in 2018, to identify strengths and gaps, assist country-level action plans towards strengthening the skills of the SSW delivery system and establish mechanisms for long-term support. There is a recognition that there are not nearly enough social workers to meet the growing needs of women and children affected by violence, poverty, or vulnerability, there is also a need for more clarity on the type of investment that must be made in the SSW to achieve the role set for them and how their positions can be rationalized for optimum performance of their roles. The assignment will provide an overview of the context for workforce planning, development, training, and support.

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2019 : [ UNICEF Myanmar ] : National Child Protection Policy and Costed Implementation Plan

Child Frontiers is collaborating with UNICEF to assist the Government of Myanmar to develop a National Child Protection Policy, accompanied by a costed Multi-Sector Plan of Action and Monitoring and Evaluation framework to support its implementation. The effort demonstrates the commitment by the Government of Myanmar in implementing concrete strategies to address the issue of violence against children in line with the ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Ending Violence Against Children. Social welfare and child protection have a critically important roles to play in addressing ethnic grievances and aspirations in Myanmar, and its national policy will be designed to be conflict sensitive and inclusive in its design and delivery. The national policy will take a long view, articulating overall aims and objectives, as well as medium term benchmarks.

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2019 : [ UNICEF UAE ] : Development of National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Children

Child Frontiers is collaborating with the UNICEF Gulf Area Office, for the first time, to develop its first comprehensive action plan to end violence against children in the United Arab Emirates.  Child Frontiers has conducted a rapid situational analysis of the principal protection concerns children, both Emirati and non-Emirati, across the seven emirates. The situational analysis includes an appraisal of the national child protection system. Based upon the conclusions, Child Frontiers will facilitate a dialogue with government partners to establish a five-year costed action plan to prevent and respond to violence against children. The action plan will be aligned to the objectives of the INSPIRE package and will be presented to the Global Partnership in New York in July 2019.

 

2019 : [ UNFPA ] : Facilitation of 2019 Annual Global Consultations on FGM

Child Frontiers facilitated the 2019 Annual Consultation for the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Program on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, held in Cairo on June 2019. The Cairo consultation was a learning event that reflected on the findings of the evaluation of phase I and II of the Joint Program and on the first year of implementation of phase III. The annual consultation brought together participants from global, regional and 19 country levels to review progress and support the process of reflection on the findings of the evaluation. During the meeting, participants worked on necessary program adjustments to accelerate the decline in FGM in the program countries. This consultation also provided an opportunity to discuss synergies and progress with countries that are benefiting from the Spotlight Initiative to End Violence against Women. The Final Report can be accessed here. 

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2019 : [ UNICEF Lao PDR ] : Child Protection Systems Assessment, Strenghtening and Social Welfare Workforce Assessment

Child Frontiers is undertaking an assessment and system strengthening initiative with UNICEF Lao PDR and the Ministry of Labor & Social Welfare to assess the current status of child protection in Laos.  Evidence generated from the assessment will be used by a National Working Committee to formulate a vision for child protection system strengthening, including development of the social work workforce. Key objectives include updating and expanding knowledge of the current child protection system; identifying capacity gaps and areas for improvement; as well as elaborating a vision and contextually appropriate plan of action for strengthening the current system.  A social workforce development plan will be drafted based on the proposed vision and plan of action, along with a system model to be piloted in one province. This project marks ten years of engagement between Child Frontiers and Lao PDR, since the initial mapping of the child protection system in 2009, study on commercial sexual exploitation of children conducted in 2011, the child protection evaluation with Plan Lao PDR in 2013, comprehensive assessment of the child and family welfare system with UNICEF and MOLSW in 2013 and adoption decree capacity building and training in 2015.

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2019 : [ UNICEF Timor-Leste ] : Child and Family Welfare System Strengthening Phase 5

Child Frontiers is continuing the process to strengthen the child and family welfare system in Timor-Leste in the next phase of engagement with the Government of Timor-Leste and UNICEF. In 2011, Child Frontiers conducted the first national mapping of the child and family welfare system, followed by a lengthy process of facilitation to develop the Child and Family Welfare System Policy (2013). Child Frontiers then facilitated a series of consultations to operationalize the new policy in 2014. Between 2015-17, Child Frontiers facilitated the government’s program to pilot policy implementation in three municipalities (Dili, Oecusse and Viqueque) through reflective practices and capacity development of the social welfare workforce, as well as working at the national level to institutionalize the reform process. The current phase of work is essentially the culmination of all these efforts: Child Frontiers and Ba Futuru are working with the Ministry of Social Solidarity's (MSS) Technical Working Group (TWG) to complete the training component of Social Welfare Workforce Strengthening in the three pilot locations and to equip them to lead reflective practices in the municipalities, as well as helping MSS institutionalize the reform process. At the end of this period of work, it is envisioned that the Government of Timor-Leste will be ready to roll out implementation of the Child and Family Welfare Policy nationally, including capacity development for the social welfare workforce.

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2019 : [ UNICEF Lebanon ] : Technical support in implementing the roadmap for alternative care in Lebanon

Child Frontiers is providing technical support and advice to the UNICEF Lebanon Country office around strengthening family-based care and alternative care especially non-institutional alternatives in its support of the Ministry of Social Affairs/Juvenile Protection Division (MOSA). The scope of work includes compiling best practices, community care and other alternative care models from UNICEF networks and partners on alternative care as per the scoping study also conducted by Child Frontiers in Lebanon in 2017. The current work will also include a budgeted action plan, capacity building and implementation of the action plan including a review of tools and development of new tools, standards and guidance on the establishment of different care models for children deprived from appropriate family care. Child Frontiers will continue to work closely with MOSA and other statutory actors in strengthening institutional capacities and supporting the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation network within MOSA to ensure oversight and quality assurance in the implementation plan.

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2019 : [ UNICEF Ethiopia ] : Assessment and strategy VACW response services in refugee and host communities

Child Frontiers is conducting an assessment and strategy to address barriers to accessing Violence against children and women (VACW) response services in refugee and host communities in the Afar, Tigray, Somali, Benishangil Gumuz and Gambella regions in Ethiopia. The objectives of this project are to understand the barriers that girls, boys and women in refugee and host communities face in relation to help-seeking behavior and access to services for violence, child marriage and FGM; and to design an evidence-based strategy to address these barriers, utilizing behavior change communication approaches as appropriate. The Government of Ethiopia and UNICEF are committed to addressing violence against children and women and strengthening access to services by refugees and host communities, as evidenced in the Growth and Transformation Plan II, the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework adopted in 2017 and UNICEF’s Building Self-Reliance Programme.

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2018 : [ Terre des Hommes ] : Developing a Framework on Strengthening Community Based Child Protection Mechanisms

Child Frontiers is developing an overarching framework for Terre des hommes to strengthen community-based child protection mechanisms and engaging with informal and formal actors to protect children from various forms of violence and rights violations. The assignment includes a critical review and analysis of Tdh’s work with communities to strengthen child protection systems; a distillation of principles and approaches that emerge as strengths for comparative analysis of different Tdh programs at country level; and the development of an overarching conceptual framework to guide Tdh’s work in strengthening child protection systems, especially through building stronger connections between formal and non-formal elements of these systems. Through the process, the Child Frontiers team will present an emerging theory of practice and accompany Tdh as the organization decides upon a long-term and appropriate strategic framework.

 

2018 : [ UNICEF Sierra Leone ] : Capacity Gaps Analysis, HR Strategy and Costed Implementation Plan

Child Frontiers undertook a project with UNICEF to analyze human resource (HR) and capacity gaps and develop a HR strategy for Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs (MSWGCA). Sierra Leone’s formal child protection systems are weak and inaccessible to the majority of children and their families, due mainly to the absence and non-implementation of laws for the protection of children, the absence of services at community level, inadequate resource allocation to the social welfare sector and an inadequate and inappropriately trained cadre of social workers at the local level. This effort was imperative to strengthen the technical, human and management capacities of the MSWGCA both at national and sub-national levels, so that it can effectively carry out its functions under the framework of the Child Welfare Policy. Child Frontiers carried out a national assessment of the HR capacity gaps within the ministry and develop a strategy to address these gaps. Child Frontier also provided technical support to Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs (MSWGCA) to develop a costed implementation strategy for the National Child Welfare Policy. This important initiative demonstrates the on-going commitment of the Government of Sierra Leone to improving the lives of children and families. The Final Report on Capacity Gaps Analysis and HR Plan can be accessed here. 

 

2018 : [ UNICEF-UNFPA ] : Phase 2 Global Program to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage

Child Frontiers facilitated the review process and supported the process for development of key documentation for Phase II of the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Program to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage, which offers a framework promoting the right of girls to delay marriage, addressing the conditions that keep the practice in place, and caring for girls already in union. The program focuses on enabling girls at risk of child marriage to choose and direct their own futures, supporting households in demonstrating positive attitudes towards adolescent girls, and strengthening the systems that deliver services to adolescent girls. It also seeks to ensure laws and policies protect and promote adolescent girls' rights, and highlight the importance of using robust data to inform policies relating to adolescent girls. This review culminated in a workshop in Jaipur, India, in February 2019, with key stakeholders. The Workshop Report can be accessed here.

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2018 : [ World Vision International ] : Core Intervention Components

Child Frontiers is working with World Vision International to identify Core Intervention Components for the Child Protection and Advocacy (CP&A) project model. The CP&A model is WVI’s approach to empower and equip children, community members, local partners and other key stakeholders to address the root causes of violence against children. Core Intervention Components can be defined as “essential functions or principles, and associated elements and intervention activities that are judged necessary to produce desired outcomes.” The outputs from this work will be used by WVI country offices to make evidence-based choices to ensure that interventions are context relevant and contribute to real change in the lives of children and families. This innovative collaboration seeks to combine global learning and critical reflection of WVI approaches to child protection to alignment with the systems approach to child protection in the future.

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2018 : [ UNICEF Pacific ] : Child Protection Systems Plans and Guidelines Development in Vanuatu, Kiribati and Nauru

Child Frontiers is providing technical assistance to selected Pacific Island Countries and Territories to strengthen their child protection policies and coordination frameworks. In Vanuatu, Child Frontiers is conducting a rapid assessment of existing child protection committees with a view to assessing whether these committees are fulfilling their intended functions adequately, sustainable and are the right mechanism to fulfil the intended functions. In Nauru and Kiribati, Child Frontiers is assisting the local governments develop their child protection policies and coordination frameworks. In Kiribati, Child Frontiers will also finalize its Child Protection in Schools policy. This technical assistance will be conducted through a review of documentation, a series of workshops across the island nations as well as consultations with key stakeholders. This exercise ties into UNICEF’s Multi-Country Program to strengthen the legal and policy framework, building capacity across social welfare, justice, police, health and education sectors, and promoting social behavior change.

 

2018 : [ New Venture Fund ] : Review of the End Violence Against Children Fund

The Fund to End Violence Against Children commissioned Child Frontiers and Arabella Advisors to complete an operational review to examine its Vision, objectives and strategies; Appetite for risk and risk management; and Operations modality. The review focuses primarily on the fund’s first two years and recommends ways to strengthen its operational effectiveness as it launches its next call for proposals in October 2018. Findings in the report relate to four key areas: Governance; Strategic leadership; Investment approach and process; and Monitoring, evaluation and learning.

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2018 : [ World Vision International ] : Child Protection and Advocacy Model Scale-up

Child Frontiers is assisting WVI to validate and refine its Core Intervention Components in key areas of its child protection and advocacy project model (eg. life skills, resilience, meaningful participation, parenting, community change, CP&A groups and home visiting). CIC can be defined as ‘essential functions or principles, and associates elements and intervention activites that are judged necessary to produce desired outcomes’. It is expected that these CIC can be used by WVI country offices to make programmatic, evidence based choices; to adapt interventions to the local contexts; to monitor implementation fidelity in adherence with the components; and to ensure sufficient and capacitated program implementers. Child Frontiers will be performing reviews of desk research summaries, conduct literature reviews and review recommendations and draft and discuss feedback on the CIC.

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2018 : [ UNICEF Malaysia ] : Reform of the Malaysian Child Justice System

Child Frontiers is providing high-level technical support to assist the government of Malaysia in the reform of the child justice system via a year-long engagement with UNICEF Malaysia. Some of the objectives include: technical and strategic support to a multiagency taskforce on diversion in planning and implementation of the diversion pilot, including development of inter-agency SOPs; design of tools for monitoring the child sexual offences court, including a client satisfaction survey for parents and child victims / witnesses; assisting the Bar Council in developing a handbook for lawyers on representing children; supporting review and amendment of child protection laws; and facilitating workshops on adoption to build awareness on the international standards, laws and best practices.

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2017 : [ ChildFund ] : Development of ChildFund’s Biannual Impact Report 2017/2018

Child Frontiers is developing ChildFund International’s next biannual Impact Report, with an expected release date of June 2018. The previous two Impact Reports captured ChildFund International’s global footprint, programming approach, child protection work and experience, and achievement of outcomes for children. The 2017/2018 Impact Report will draw on its experience with respect to evidence it is gathering and what it is learning about the protection situation for children and how communities are responding. The 2017/2018 Impact Report is intended to showcase ChildFund’s accomplishments, affirm its strategic focus on child protection, and share nascent evidence and ideas about what works in terms of realizing developmental and protection outcomes for children, drawing from child protection-related data and documentation of our work across the globe. The Impact Report will be used for visibility, fundraising, and advocacy purposes, and is intended to portray our work, accomplishments and learnings with transparency and accountability.

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2017 : [ Save the Children Sweden ] : CPiE Capacity Gap Analyses in 2 regions

Child Frontiers adapted tools and methodologies used by the SC Sweden programme management team to conduct the initial capacity gaps analysis that had been conducted in East and Southern Africa; and Middle East and Eastern Europe. This analyses was part of a broader Child Protection in Emergencies Professional Development programme launched in 2016 to enhance skills, knowledge and behaviors required of child protection in emergencies response staff. Access the report on East and Southern Africa and Middle East and Eastern Europe. 

 

2017 : [ World Vision UK ] : ADAPT 4 Emergencies in South Sudan and Uganda

Child Frontiers worked with World Vision to develop the existing Child Protection ADAPT (Analysis, Design and Planning Tool) to also be used for child protection in emergencies. The existing ADAPT developed by World Vision was specifically designed to help with the identification, prioritisation and root cause analysis of child protection in a country context, including also the identification and mapping of the systems that are in place to protect children. World Vision and Child Frontiers worked to build on recent evidence, lessons learned and current dialogue on child protection in emergencies assessment and measurement. The draft tool was subsequently trialed and piloted in two South Sudanese refugee camps and in northern Uganda. 

 

2017 : [ Plan Cambodia ] : National Child Protection System Policy Development

Child Frontiers facilitated a consultative national process to bring together key Cambodian government agencies and child protection stakeholders to discuss and agree upon a common way forward for the national child protection system. This involved a series of workshops aimed toward agreeing upon a unified approach to address the current lack of a national ‘blueprint or vision’ for the child protection system. A baseline study conducted by Child Frontiers for Plan International in 2016 indicated that children and families in need of assistance are not currently receiving adequate child protection services. The child protection system policy being developed through this process aimed to work with the Royal Government of Cambodia, child protection stakeholders and communities to address this challenge.

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2016 : [ UNICEF Ghana ] : Policy to Practice

Child Frontiers, in close collaboration with the Ghanaian government, and under the guidance of UNICEF Ghana, provided technical support, feedback and ‘coaching’ to the Institute of Local Government Services.  This effort was part of a process of reform in 20 districts where it is expected to result in the translation of the Child and Family Welfare Policy (CFWP) into practice, capacity strengthening, and the generation of evidence of possible impact of child protection systems strengthened at local level for nationwide application. This work builds upon Child Frontiers’ contribution to drafting of Ghana’s CFWP in 2014, and the nation’s first mapping of the child and family welfare and child justice systems in 2010. The Final Report on the project can be accessed here. 

 

2016 : [ UNICEF Pacific ] : Strategy Note and Theory of Change

Child Frontiers assisted UNICEF Pacific in the development and finalisation of a Strategy Note and Theory of Change through a consultative process of engagement with key stakeholders as part of UNICEF’s development of a new five year (beginning 2018) multi-country programme of cooperation. Detailed consultations were held in Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Strategy Notes describe the steps UNICEF will pursue to achieve the results outlined in the Country Programme Document. The Theory of Change is an ongoing process of reflection to explore why change is needed and how it happens.

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2016 : [ UNICEF Tanzania ] : Integrated Child Policy for Zanzibar

Child Frontiers supported the Government and UNICEF to develop an Integrated Child Policy for Zanzibar. This policy is intended to act as an overall framework to promote more effective coordination across a number of different sectors broadly related to child welfare, including child protection and access to services relating to education, health, nutrition, social protection and early childhood development. The assignment builds on work already completed across these different sectors and identified gaps in the regulatory framework in order to develop a comprehensive approach to promoting the effective provision of services at different stages of the lifecycle of children in Zanzibar. The Final Presentation of the Policy can be accessed here. 

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2015 : [ Plan UK ] : Child Protection Systems Strengthening in Emergencies

Child Frontiers worked with Plan UK to provide guidance to all actors working in the international humanitarian community about strengthening child protection systems through emergency preparedness and responses in different emergency settings. The ‘system-strengthening approach’ is now the primary paradigm that underpins the work of the majority of international humanitarian and development child protection agencies. This guidance was included in the Child Protection Working Group’s new coordination handbook. The Final Report can be accessed here. 

 

2015 : [ Plan Cambodia ] : Baseline Study and Midterm Review

Plan Cambodia recruited Child Frontiers in the fall of 2015 to implement two initiatives, a baseline study and mid-term review of its child protection work in Cambodia. Plan has been implementing community based child protection mechanisms in two districts since 2007. A combined approach to the two pieces of work was developed to leverage resources and promote cross-linkages between the projects, which contain similar elements and are designed to strengthen the child protection system in Cambodia at the national, provincial and district levels. The research and fieldwork were jointly undertaken by a combined international and Khmer research team and two reports, along with a child friendly report, drafted based on the findings. Access the Baseline Study and Midterm Review. 

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2015 : [ UNICEF Togo ] : Child and Family Welfare System Policy Development

Building upon the mapping and participatory analysis conducted by Child Frontiers in Togo in 2014, this phase of engagement involved the development of the child and family welfare policy. Evidence generated in the earlier phase provided the foundation for a policy that reflects the current context of Togolese values, practices and principles. The Final Report can be accessed here. 

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2015 : [ UNICEF Timor-Leste ] : Child and Family Welfare System Development

Child Frontiers supported UNICEF Timor-Leste on implementation of the Child and Family Welfare Policy Development (2014). This next phase included preparation for and piloting of the implementation of the policy in three municipalities (Dili, Oecusse and Viqueque). Child Frontiers also advised and guided the policy implementation, documentation and evaluation. This phase also included a second component, the capacity development of the social welfare workforce in the Government. Child Frontiers' specialists supported the development and delivery of specialised capacity building modules.

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2014 : [ Plan International ] : Development of Plan's Global Child Protection Strategy

Child Frontiers facilitated a consultative process to guide Plan International in developing its first global child protection strategy. Working closely with the Global Child Protection Advisor and a Technical Reference Group, a participatory process was designed to analyse and prioritise the types of interventions Plan should promote between 2015 and 2020. In addition to an agency-wide survey, consultations were conducted with child beneficiaries of Plan’s work in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. This support was provided through global, regional and external reviews, facilitation of strategy definition for a Technical Reference Group, and organization-wide consultations. The process provided Plan with a long term vision and medium-term strategy to guide global programme staff and ensure that regional and country offices strive to adapt their work to the contexts in which they work.

 

2014 : [ World Vision International ] : Policy Paper VAC on the Global Agenda

Child Frontiers developed a policy paper for World Vision International to analyse the types of evidence on violence against children required to position this issue as a global priority. In an effort to learn from the experience of other sectors, global advocacy efforts to raise awareness on the issues of child survival and HIV / Aids were analysed. Lessons learned and challenges experienced in attracting global attention to these topics were identified. Interviews were conducted with leading experts from these fields, as well as child protection, to explore challenges and opportunities faced by international agencies and actors in raising the profile of violence against children on the global agenda. The paper will inform World Vision’s advocacy strategy for including Violence Against Children in the post-2015 framework and positioning the issue as a critical global development concern. The policy paper can be downloaded at the following link: REPORT

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2014 : [ UNICEF Timor-Leste ] : Child & Welfare System Policy Development

Building upon recommendations of the mapping of the Timor-Leste child and family welfare system conducted in 2011, Child Frontiers facilitated a consultative process with the Ministry of Social Solidarity in collaboration with key national stakeholders to draft a Child and Family Welfare System Policy in 2012. The next phase of this process involved developing a detailed implementation plan based on existing and planned financial and human resources. The approach adopted reflects existing Timorese values about individual, family and collective rights and responsibilities and utilises practical and culturally acceptable ways of helping families and children. The process was highly consultative, involving Government counterparts and key stakeholders, including communities and children. Key components include a human resource strategy, system costing plan, roll-out plan for piloting and implementing the system nationwide, as well as a capacity development framework for the social welfare workforce within the new child and family welfare system.

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2014 : [ UNICEF Ghana ] : Child and Family Welfare System Policy Development

Child Frontiers supported the government of Ghana and UNICEF to develop both a child and family welfare policy and a child justice policy. The policy development process built on evidence generated through the child protection system mapping undertaken in 2010. The objective was to develop a policy appropriate for the Ghanaian context, which involved reconceptualising the approach to child and family welfare to reflect Ghanaian values and principles. This reform of child and family welfare services is complemented by the new Juvenile Justice policy, which provides a legal foundation to ensure justice for children in Ghana.

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2013 : [ UNICEF Sierra Leone ] : Child & Family Welfare System Strengthening and Policy Development

Child Frontiers collaborated with the Ministry of Gender, Social Welfare and Children’s Affairs to develop a national Child Welfare Policy entitled ‘Supporting Families and Communities to Protect Children’. The framework of the policy was developed through a series of consultations with traditional leaders, communities and children, as well as workshops in Freetown with civil society actors and government agencies. Throughout 2013, these groups studied the research evidence, considered international good practices and dialogued to agree upon the aspirations and key principles of the policy. The Child Welfare Policy establishes an over-arching, long-term vision of a comprehensive system to support families and communities in promoting the welfare and protection of children in Sierra Leone. This new policy came at an opportune moment, with the Government reaffirming its commitment to social and economic reform and the promotion of human development through the Agenda for Prosperity (2013–2017).

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2013 : [ Plan Lao PDR ] : Child Protection Programme Design

Child Frontiers was engaged by Plan Lao PDR to draft a comprehensive framework for the Plan Lao Child Protection Program. Following a series of consultations with communities and families in rural and remote provinces of Lao PDR, Child Frontiers identified potential Plan programme contributions towards strengthening the child protection system. Framing the program within Plan’s child-centred community development approach, the program looks strategically at Plan’s investment in child protection during the next five years.

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2012 : [ UNICEF Pacific ] : Designing the Child and Family Welfare System (Kiribati & the Solomon Islands)

Child Frontiers provided technical assistance to the Governments of Kiribati and Solomon Islands to design and build national child and family welfare systems.  At the core of this process was a series of national consultations with government child welfare agencies and civil society, including traditional and religious authorities, community groups and children. These consultations complemented a parallel initiative to develop the legal framework for the welfare of children and families, ensuring coherence between the law and the services provided to vulnerable children. Consultations with key stakeholders contributed to the development of a system design that is culturally appropriate, realistic in terms of resources, as well as practical and sustainable for Kiribati and the Solomon Islands in the long term.

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2012 : [ UNICEF Timor Leste ] : Child & Family Welfare System Policy Development

Child Frontiers assisted the Government of Timor-Leste to develop a Child and Family Welfare System Policy through a consultative process with the Ministry of Social Solidarity and key national stakeholders. This included the development of a comprehensive directory of service providers and review of the mandated roles and priorities of agencies with responsibilities for child protection. The policy endeavored to strike a balance between national aspirations, the Timorese cultural and social context and available human and financial resources. The working group made strategic choices in an effort to achieve greater compliance with international standards while designing a system congruent with the national culture and practices.

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2011 : [ UNICEF Bosnia & Herzegovina ] : Child Protection Programme Assistance

The primary objective of this short piece of work was to share global thinking on child and family welfare systems with UNICEF staff and key partners.  An analysis of progress and challenges faced in strengthening systems in selected municipalities of Bosnia & Herzegovina was also conducted.

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2010 : [ UNICEF Fiji ] : Resource Support for Local Office

Child Frontiers was engaged by UNICEF Fiji to contribute to the first regional resource group meeting for social welfare with UNICEF Pacific. An analysis of practical case examples of social work approaches from other countries was conducted, with specific focus on the use of informal structures and exploring linkages between formal and informal mechanisms.

 

2009 : [ UNICEF EAPRO ] : Child Protection in Emergencies (Preparedness & Response)

In partnership with the UNICEF's Asia Pacific Shared Services Centre (Emergency Unit), Child Frontiers provided a program of tailored technical capacity building and support to 12 countries in the region. Acting within the framework of the UN Humanitarian Reform Process, the Core Commitment for Children, and Cluster Approach, Child Frontiers supported UNICEF staff and their national counterparts in emergency preparedness and response to natural disasters and civil conflict. Ultimately, this program was designed to enable UNICEF officers to fulfil their child protection responsibilities under the cluster approach. The countries included under the program were: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste.

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2009 : [ UNICEF Egypt ] : Development of Policy on Family

Child Frontiers worked with UNICEF Egypt and the newly formed Ministry of State for Family and Population to draft the Ministry's child and family welfare policy framework. The policy paper introduced stronger links between family policy, child welfare and human rights approaches in Egypt. The policy development process was completed by recommendations to review and reform the child and family welfare system in Egypt.

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2009 : [ UNICEF Egypt ] : Mid-Term Review of Child Protection Programme

Child Frontiers conducted a strategic review of UNICEF Egypt's child protection program within the Mid-Term Review process, aligning the program with UNICEF’s global strategy on child protection systems building. This review analysed UNICEF's comparative advantage and long-term vision for the development of the child and family welfare system in partnership with the Ministry of State for Family and Population.